Cat Communication 101

Like aloha, meow is a multi-purpose word. It can mean hello, good-bye, have a nice day and many other things as well. Cats use meow to converse with their humans. With each other, it’s less talk and more action — although meow in different tones and decibels does play an important role in courting and in protecting one’s tuna and territory from interlopers.

A meow of indignation and anger is awesome to hear. The meow of warning, tom-to-tom, can be dowright chilling. When Gatito, Tony and Missy speak to me, their meows almost always are endearing. And if I hear one of them vocalizing in the other room, I can always tell which cat is carrying on a conversation. Every feline has a distinctive way of talking and getting his/her message across.

Live with kitties for a while and you’ll be able to tell an alarm meow from a contented “mrrr” or satisfied “muff” after dinner. A plea for attention comes through loud and clear. And if you happen to inadvertently step on a paw, get ready to hear an “OW” without the “me.” This usually will be followed by a hiss, which is a favorite kitty cuss word.

Cat communication really is remarkable. On occasion, it has been a scholarly study. According to www.catsplay.com, a fellow by the name of Dr. Nicholas Nicastro once wrote a whole PhD thesis on the meows of cats.

He recorded hundreds of these feline sounds and asked owners and non-owners to determine what the kitties were saying. The results: Forty percent of the time cat owners understood their pets. The non-owners, on the other hand, hadn’t a clue.

They flunked Dr. Nicastro’s exam, and the only way we can see for them to recover respect and make the grade is to head for the nearest shelter and adopt some needy kitties. Hands-on experience can teach people a lot about the meaning of meow. And it can teach even more about the meaning of love.